Department of
Surgery

Research Team

Brian Boone, M.D., FACS | Chief – Division of Surgical Oncology | Director – BioTRAC
Dr. Brian Boone is the Chief of the Department of Surgery at WVU Medicine and Director of the Biospecimen Translational Research Analysis Core (BioTRAC) at the WVU Cancer Institute. Since establishing his research lab in 2018, he has focused on understanding the immune response in pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis, with an emphasis on developing novel therapeutic approaches. He is passionate about advancing translational research and fostering collaborations that improve patient outcomes. Outside of work, Dr. Boone enjoys spending time with his children, hunting, and hobby farming.

WVUM & WVU Lab Staff

Kristen Ranson, M.S., ACRP-CP | Biospecimen Manager | WVU | BioTRAC
Kristen earned her master's degree in Health Sciences from West Virginia University and is currently pursuing her Healthcare MBA. She joined Dr. Boone's research lab in 2021 as a Research Associate and eventually transitioned into her current role as BioTRAC's Biospecimen Core Manager. In this role, she oversees daily operations, manages biospecimen collection and processing, and coordinates research collaborations and clinical trial specimen services. Outside of work, Kristen enjoys crocheting, Pilates, exploring the outdoors while playing Pokémon GO, and obsessing over her ever-growing collection of houseplants. She also loves spending time with her dog, cat, and two pet snails!

Cristal Espinosa, M.S. | Research & Grants Analyst | WVU Medicine | Department of Surgery
Cristal graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at West Virginia Wesleyan College and in 2021 with a master’s degree in Health Science at WVU. Currently, she assists the Department of Surgery with clinical and translational research. Her role is to help coordinate and implement research projects by consenting patients, gather data, assist with specimen collection, and provide experimental support. In her spare time, she likes to read, play with her pets and spend time outdoors.

Tyler Augenstein, M.S. | Research Specialist Supervisor | WVU
Tyler graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, and in 2020 with a master's degree in Laboratory Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Tyler has two roles in the lab. First, he is the General Lab Manager and aids in the daily operation of the lab (ordering, lab maintenance, etc.). Second, he is a Research Specialist. As such, he maintains several transgenic mouse strains, works on prospective projects from which he gathers preliminary data for future graduate students/Residents, and basically anything else required for the lab. In Tyler's spare time, he likes to road bike, spend time outside on adventures, spend time with his wife and 2-year-old son, and occasionally dabble in video games.

Soo Jeon Choi, M.S. | Research Specialist Senior | WVU
Soo received her M.S. in Molecular Cell Biology from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in South Korea in 2000. Since then, she enjoys combining her passion for science with mentoring and supporting the next generation of researchers. She is now a Research Specialist Senior in the Boone Lab. Soo's research focuses on cancer bacteriotherapy, investigating how bacteria can be engineered and utilized as novel tools for cancer treatment. She performs a variety of molecular and cellular biology experiments, and works closely with graduate students, providing hands-on training in a wide range of laboratory techniques. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, especially Manga, and volunteering at a local Korean school.

Emily Godfrey, Ph.D. | Clinical Data Manager | WVU | BioTRAC
Emily graduated in 2026 with a PhD in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis focusing on the impact of bacterial-derived therapeutics in pancreatic cancer. She serves as the Clinical Data Manager for the Lung Cancer Research Group and BioTRAC. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, spending time outdoors, reading, and playing with her cat Tillie.

Anala Schultz | Histotechnologist | WVU | BioTRAC
Anala Schultz is a Histotechnologist with BioTRAC, where she works with a wide variety of tissue specimens, performing fixation, embedding, microtomy, and frozen section preparation. She specializes in H&E staining and is knowledgeable in numerous special staining techniques including IHC. In addition to laboratory processing, she assists with tissue collection and specimen tracking to support research activities. Anala earned her degree from West Virginia University's Histotechnology program in May 2025 and enjoys expanding her knowledge through new techniques, procedures, and specimen types. Anala's passion for histology was first sparked during her time in the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics (BLD) program, when a specimen identification activity featuring a half-toe specimen ignited her curiosity about tissue science and pathology. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her cats, coloring, and crocheting.

Derek Biddle | Biospecimen Research Technician | WVU | BioTRAC
Derek attended Wellspring School of Allied Health, where he studied Medical Assisting and gained experience with patient intake, vital signs, phlebotomy, electrocardiograms, specimen collection, examination preparation, infection control, and medical documentation. Later he became a Biospecimen Research Technician, performing laboratory processes such as receiving, labeling, accessioning, processing, aliquoting, storing, documenting, and preparing biospecimens for shipment while maintaining safety, confidentiality, and specimen integrity. Outside of work, he enjoys woodworking, gaming, reading, watching movies, and spending quality time with his family.

Bengnique Miller | Laboratory Technician | WVU | BioTRAC
Bengnique Miller holds a bachelor's degree in Forensic Science and Chemistry from the University of Central Oklahoma. At BioTRAC, she supports clinical research by managing and processing biospecimens for clinical trials, maintaining regulatory compliance, and collaborating with clinical teams to ensure high-quality specimen collection and handling. She is passionate about improving laboratory operations and contributing to the success of research studies through efficiency and attention to detail. In her free time, she enjoys watching NBA basketball, catching up on K-dramas, and volunteering in her community.

Graduate & Post-Graduate Researchers

Mercy Ojetunde | Ph.D. Scholar
Mercy is a Ph.D. scholar in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate program whose dissertation focuses on investigating the role of surface lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (sLAMP1) on macrophages and its impact on neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) degradation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Mercy has a background in microbiology, and she received her MSc. in Biotechnology (Distinction) from the University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom, fully sponsored by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. Her primary interests include understanding the interaction between neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and tumor-associated macrophages/ macrophage clearance of NETs in pancreatic cancer to improve current therapies available for PDAC patients and potentially improve patient outcomes. In her spare time, Mercy enjoys visiting historical/interesting places and volunteering to help others grow through mentorship.

Annabelle Smith | Ph.D. Scholar
Annabelle obtained her bachelor's degree in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from WVU in 2024 and is now pursuing a PhD in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis. Her research revolves around using non-living bacterial products to treat pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Specifically, immunogenic proteins from Group A streptococcus that can force an anti-tumoral response. In her free time, Annabelle enjoys gardening, reading, and bird watching.

Undergraduate Researchers

  • Callie Ancosky

Previous Lab Mambers

  • Quinn Hopen – Passed her Ph.D. dissertation defense, "Tissue-Specific Immune Microenvironments Shape Androgen-Mediated Sex Disparities in Solid Tumors," in 2026 and is now pursuing her M.D. degree at WVU School of Medicine.
  • Alyson Stevens – Passed her M.D./Ph.D. dissertation defense, "Modulation of Myeloid Immune Populations by Standard and Novel Treatments for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma," in 2026 and is continuing her M.D./Ph.D. education at WVU School of Medicine.
  • Michael Sestito, M.D. – Since completing his research with our lab, he is continuing his residency training at WVU Hospitals in General Surgery.
  • Britney Harris, M.D. – Awarded the Laurence and Jean DeLynn Cancer Research Fellowship in 2022. Since completing her research fellowship, she has matched in Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship at The University of Chicago.
  • Hillary Goodney, MD/Ph.D. – Passed her M.D./Ph.D. dissertation defense, "Interaction Between Myeloid Cells and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma," in 2024 and graduated from the WVU MD/Ph.D. program in 2026. She is now a resident of internal medicine at WVUH.
  • Abby Ivey, MD/Ph.D. – Passed her M.D./Ph.D. dissertation defense "Cancer Promoting Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Microenvironment," in 2023 and graduated from the WVU M.D./Ph.D. program in 2025. She is now a resident of family medicine at WVUH.
  • Pavan Rao, M.D. – Since becoming one of the first lab members of the Boone lab from 2020-2022 as a General Surgery resident from Allegheny Health Network, he is now a board-certified Colorectal surgeon at Mercy Hospital in Missouri.